


Current Affairs

by Wetislandinthenorthatlantic



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: BAMF Molly, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mollcroft, Mycroft Being Mycroft, Mycroft IS the British Government
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 12:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2387909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wetislandinthenorthatlantic/pseuds/Wetislandinthenorthatlantic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes you don't know how you feel about someone until they aren't there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Current Affairs

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these characters. This work is purely for entertainment only.

Walking into her lab from her office Molly glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall: 16:10. 

"Where is your brother?" Frowning, Molly was scanning the room as she moved towards Sherlock. 

Seated at his favourite lab station Sherlock responded curtly, "How should I know? I am not my brother's keeper."

"Because every Thursday he is here yelling at you. I usually have to put up with at least 45 minutes of snarky comments before one of you storms off in a huff. Where is he?"

"Why do you care that I am missing my weekly scolding?" 

Sherlock's eyes flicked up to look at Molly. She was standing next to him, clutching a folder to her chest while shifting nervously on her feet. Sherlock's brow creased. "This sudden concern about Mycroft makes no sense Molly." 

"It's just ... Have you seen the news? So much scary stuff is going on. I mean, there was a Cabinet meeting today and Parliament is being recalled tomorrow ..."

"Molly. I'm busy. What is your point? I'm sure Mycroft is involved in, as you so eloquently put it the 'scary stuff' so what?"

Shifting nervously Molly looked at the ground. "It must be tough. Having to make those sorts of decisions for the country. I just wanted to let him know I was thinking about him and wishing him good luck with it all."

His attention back in the microscope Sherlock sighed heavily, "Call him yourself. I'm sure you can't possibly be my only acquaintance who doesn't have his private number. And since you are up, coffee with three sugars."

****  
Later that night after dinner, while sitting on her sofa, Molly finally worked up enough courage to send Mycroft a text. 

No response. 

With her pyjamas on, after brushing her teeth, before she settled down to read, Molly sent a second text. 

No response. 

It was difficult for Molly to sleep that night. 

Waking up the next morning the first thing Molly did was look at her phone. 

No texts had arrived overnight. No missed calls. 

Molly let out a deep sigh before getting out of bed. 

****

Thankfully, the morgue was extremely busy that day which took Molly's mind off the current state of the world and the fact that a certain member of the British Government wasn't returning her texts. 

****

After her long and gruelling day Molly stood in her shower, the hot water working the kinks out of her shoulders. As the memories of the day were washed away ... thoughts of her unanswered texts appeared once again. 

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. How dare Mycroft ignore her? She was just trying to be nice to him. 

Molly stood in the middle of her bedroom. Still wet from the shower, she was making a small puddle on the floor. The towel tucked hastily under her arms wasn't helping very much. She managed, despite the water drops on the phone to text Mycroft again. 

No response. 

She was now furious. 

Molly sent another text – just to make sure Mycroft knew exactly how she felt.

***

After four days of anger Molly was suddenly overcome with fear that something actually might be very wrong. On Tuesday night she sat at her dining room table, feeling cold and shaky as she stared at her phone. Surely she should call someone to let them know that Mycroft hadn’t been heard from in nearly a week. But who? Molly even went so far as to Google the number of Buckingham Palace's switchboard. It was a long shot, but the most obvious place to start. 

In the end Molly didn't call the Palace. After sending two pleading texts to Mycroft, Molly crawled into bed early and cried herself to sleep. 

****  
It had been dark for quite some time when Mycroft's car emerged from the underground parking area to begin the trip back to London. 

Mycroft and Anthea were in their usual positions in the backseat. 

The last week had been particularly taxing for Mycroft. Difficult decisions had to be made and all too often by him. 

He was pleased the hour was late. The darkness gave him the perfect excuse not to open his briefcase and study yet more reconnaissance photos. He would have nearly three hours before he arrived at his pied-a-terre in Whitehall. Perhaps he should try to sleep. 

Sighing, Mycroft rolled his head to the left to watch the dark countryside fly past. He wondered for a fleeting moment if anyone out there had any idea of just how hard he had been working the last few days to keep them all safe. No. No one knew. He was a real life invisible man. 

Sleep curled around him. The last sound Mycroft heard was Anthea vigorously taping away on her mobile. 

 

****

As his car passed Swindon Mycroft was jolted awake by the sound of six texts arriving. He looked over at Anthea who seemed just as alarmed as he was. 

Considering the current state of affairs it could only be bad news. 

Anthea watched Mycroft pull his phone out from the inside pocket of his jacket. 

A small, "Oh," escaped from his lips when Mycroft had finished reading the messages. The soft electronic glow from the phone allowed Anthea to see the look of utter shock on Mycroft's face. 

"Sir? Is everything alright?" asked Anthea with concern in her voice. 

"I owe someone a phone call." Mycroft already had the phone up to his ear. 

"Sir, do you know what time it is?"

Mycroft raised his hand to silence Anthea. It wouldn't matter what time it was to the person at the other end of the phone. 

****  
Molly reached out for the phone beside her bed without being fully awake. Call it doctor’s habit. 

"Um. Hello. Molly Hooper here." Molly had only opened one eye to see the clock on her bedside table: 01:36. 

"Molly. It's Mycroft."

Molly let out a sigh of relief, "Oh thank goodness. Are you okay?"

"I am perfectly fine." 

Mycroft had forgotten that doctors, as a profession, are able to move between the state of fully-asleep to fully-awake-with-all-their-wits–about-them far faster than the career civil servants he was generally surrounded by in his day to day existence. 

Knowledge is power and overlooking this tiny but vital bit of info caused Mycroft to make a tactical error. 

His plan was simple: The phone call would be short. It would only half wake Molly from a deep slumber. Through the fog of sleep it would vaguely register to Molly that Mycroft was alive and well. With Molly still mostly asleep he could then quickly say goodnight. This would placate her for the moment. She would forget all about this business by the end of the week. And the texts … Mycroft was sure Molly would feel they were six moments of weakness and as a gentleman he would never speak of them again.

It was too late by the time Mycroft realised his mistake. 

With the opening pleasantries portion of their conversation now over Molly moved quickly on to more pressing matters. 

Anthea, could quite clearly hear the stern tone in the voice on the other end of Mycroft's phone. With little warning Molly had launched into the most significant scolding Mycroft Holmes had experienced since he stopped speaking to his mother on the phone. 

In the back of Mycroft's car, illuminated only by the glow of mobile phones, Anthea saw Mycroft's moth open as if to speak but no words came. It was unclear if he couldn't get a word in edgewise or if he thought better of interrupting. 

"...I even Googled the number for The Palace. ... It's just ... I can't explain why .... It's just .... I was so worried." Molly took a deep shuddering breath.

"Are you quite finished?"

A small, "Yes," came down the phone. 

" I ... I had no idea my presence had ever been noted and I never expected my absence would cause such distress. I must sincerely apologize to you."

Anthea watched as Mycroft absently mindedly picked invisible pieces of fluff from the right knee of his trousers. 

"Your concern for my welfare is unanticipated," somewhere deep inside his chest Mycroft felt a warm glow ignite, "but not unwelcome." Mycroft said the last three words very quietly with his eyes closed. 

"Mycroft? Are you still there? You've gone quiet."

"I'm here."

"I'm sorry I scolded you."

"No apology is needed. I have taken no offence, instead I find myself quite touched by your concern."

Molly heard Mycroft swallow hard and take a deep breath, giving a slight pause in the conservation. 

"Perhaps we should have dinner tonight. There is a small place in Whitehall. Given the current state of affairs you will need a security clearance to get in. Anthea will call you later today to arrange it all."

Lying in the darkness of her bedroom Molly smiled to herself as she imagined Anthea typing this script into her phone and handing it to Mycroft to read off. 

In actual fact that is exactly what happened in the back of the black car speeding towards London. 

"Yes. I'd like that," Molly couldn't stop a yawn. "Thanks for letting me know you are okay. Now I need to go back to sleep. I have work today. I'll see you later. Goodnight Mycroft."

"Goodnight Molly."

The car was once again dark. Gazing out the window into the night Mycroft couldn't stop a small smile from forming at the corners of his mouth. Someone out there noticed when he was missing. Another human being expressed concern for him. 

"Anthea," Mycroft said quietly. "I can't make it to dinner."

"Sir? What? Why not? I can re-arrange your schedule."

"Make it lunch. I can not possibly wait that long before I see her."

**Author's Note:**

> Hi gang! This fic wasn't a prompt ... it just appeared ... enjoy!


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